BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – The LIU Brooklyn baseball team had a big win Friday afternoon at Harbor Yard, beating Sacred Heart, 8-3, to stay alive in the Northeast Conference playoff picture. The Blackbirds combined for 13 hits in the win, while sophomore Baylor LaPointe had the win on the mound, giving up just six hits in seven innings of work.

LIU got on the board first, scoring in the top of the second inning. Junior Charles Misiano had the RBI single to put the Blackbirds up, 1-0. The Pioneers would answer in the bottom of the frame, scoring on an RBI single of their own, and the game was knotted up, 1-1.

Neither team would score again for the next two innings, until LIU took the lead for good in the top of the fifth. Freshman Joe Mercadante and Misiano led off with back-to-back singles, and senior Brian Lamboy moved both base runners over with a groundout. Freshman Luis Arias de los Santos had a long single to left field that would score one run, and senior Tommy Jakubowski brought the next run home with his sacrifice fly to left field. LIU came out of the inning with a 3-1 advantage.   

A triple and a sac fly in the bottom of the inning would score one run for the Pioneers, but the game would not stay close for long. In the top of the sixth, the Blackbirds broke the game open, scoring four runs on five hits to take a 7-2 lead. Sophomore Andrew Turner led off for LIU, and singled to get the inning started. He moved to scoring position on a ground out, and a wild pitch put him on third. Senior Luis Rios had an RBI single through the right side to bring him home, and he would advance to third on Mercadante's single to center field. With two runners on, Misiano came to the plate, and had a double down the right field line that would score both runners. Misiano then came home from second on Lamboy's double down the right field line, and LIU had a five-run cushion.

A single home run in the bottom of the sixth would mark the last time that the Pioneers would score a run. LIU would add one more run in the top of the eight, on a sacrifice fly from Arias to make it 8-3, and freshman pitcher Mike Kreiger finished the game for the Blackbirds, blanking Sacred Heart to ice the win for LIU.

Sophomore Baylor LaPointe (7-5) had the win on the mound, giving up just six hits over 7.0 innings and striking out five. Freshman Mike Kreiger pitched two scoreless innings for LIU, giving up just one hit to the Pioneers.

At the plate, Charles Misiano led the Blackbirds, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Freshman Luis Arias de los Santos had two RBIs in a 1-for-3 appearance, while seniors Brian Lamboy and Luis Rios each had an RBI for the Blackbirds. Freshman Joe Mercadante also hit well, going 3-for-3 with three runs scored.

Up next, the two teams resume the series with a doubleheader, scheduled for Saturday, May 21 at 12 p.m.